Hope Begins
by capctr
Summary: Alice learns that before she left mortality, she had a child out of wedlock, and after the events of Coming Storm, she tracks down her great-grandson.Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

_Twilight is the creation of Stephanie Meyer, to whom I will be forever grateful for her gift ._

_This story is actually meant to be a part of Coming Storm, at some point the two will interconnect. Please, read and review. I need all the help I can get. Thank you all so much. Cap ctr_

Discovery of Hope

Chapter One

Had I been asked two weeks ago, if I could envision a future where I had loss all hope, I would have asked if you were crazy. Sure, my life wasn't perfect, but I had three beautiful daughters whom I adored, and a wife with whom I had been hopelessly in love since I had met her. The problem was, she no longer loved me.

I can't really condemn her for not loving me, because in her eyes, I had given her plenty of reason. Nothing I had done per Se, rather, she had stopped loving me for what I was, or rather, for what I wasn't.

We met when she was a freshman in college, and I was, as always, trying to figure out what to do with my life. At twenty-six, I had not finished school, could find nothing that I was particularly good at, and had the misfortune of being born with uncommonly good looks. Even worse, I had just inherited a small fortune from my father at his death.

The combination of my looks, the new sports car I had purchased with a portion of my inheritance, was sufficient to convince Anna that I was an "up and coming", with a brilliant future.

I tried to tell her that I had no idea what to do with my life, that I was forgetful, and hopelessly inept at anything I tried my hand at. But, as besotted as I was with her, I found myself unable to convey my warnings with sufficient gravity, to make her believe that I was serious. To see the true me. The man who sets his car keys down to put on a coat, and then have to spend an hour looking for them. The man that would forget which bills were due, and when. The man that had not only never finished school, but had never stayed at a job for more than nine months. The man who had been told repeatedly by his father that he would never amount to much, because his head was always in the clouds.

It was a bitter self-fulfilling prophecy. I had heard such things from my father since I had been five years old, I couldn't _not_ believe him, and I heard his condescending voice every time I tried to find success.

It is not my father's fault that I am a failure, but he sure didn't help.

Anna had finally had enough. She gave me an ultimatum, either "man up", and do something with my life other than work as a welder at the foundry where I had been employed for a record three and a half years, or she was going to divorce me. She was tired of having a husband she was ashamed of, tired of having to hide the fact that she was married to a blue-collar worker from her fellow nurses at the ER. I had misrepresented myself to her, she told me, convincing her I was a winner, when in reality, I was a loser.

The harsh words hurt, but she had made no attempt to hide her feelings since the day she realized that I wasn't a blazing success, and wasn't likely to be. She felt that we were unequally yoked, she was a certified genius, who could have been anything she wanted, and I...wasn't.

My wife felt that I had caused her to waste her life by marrying me, and after the children were born, Anna had returned to school to become a registered nurse, instead of the doctor she had always envisioned herself being, back before she had the misfortune of meeting me. Somebody had to make a "good" living in our family, she told me scornfully.

After twelve years of marriage, I had returned to school, determined to prove myself worthy of my wife and children. I had left my job at the foundry, taking a maintenance job at the University and a pay cut, in order to earn free tuition, have the time to actually attend class(I was working on average, twelve hour days), and state benefits for my family.

My determination payed off, and that semester proved to be the first time in my life that I had ever earned an A in school. Three, in fact, and two B's.

I remember how excited I was to show my grades to my wife. As it was Christmas, I gift-wrapped them, and that night, after the children had gone to bed, I gave them to her.

Upon opening her gift, she looked at my grades, her eyes marginally widening in surprise. I chortled happily, beaming with pride at my first taste of academic success. Looking up at me, Anna's eyes narrowed "What are you so excited about?" she asked me, genuinely puzzled "You only took remedial classes. Your thirty-seven, for crying out loud, if you can't pass algebra, English, and psychology, with all the other _freshmen_, then you're an even bigger loser than my mom says you are!" she finished with a venomous hiss.

As we were visiting her mother for the holidays, Anna had kept her voice down, for which I was grateful, but I was also crushed by her reaction, and more than a little embarrassed by the realization that she was right. I was excited about earning good grades in classes attended by students half my age? What was I thinking?

"What are you talking about?" I asked defensively, trying to cover up how much her words hurt me "Your mother likes me." She should, I had spent years trying to earn her approval. It had only been in the last two years that she had finally started to warm up to me.

"She despises you, Jordan! She laughs at you behind your back. The only thing she values about you is your DNA, which somehow weeded out your countless flaws, and graced our children with a few of you physical traits. Thank God they got everything else from me. Without that piece of meat between your legs, you would be worthless to her." Anna scorned "Me too, come to think of it."

Pain and rage battled within my shattered heart. She had said similar things to me before, but never with such vitriol. I had thought that by doing well in school she would have been at least somewhat proud of me.

As usual, I was wrong.

Standing up, I grabbed my coat.

"Were are you going," she sneered "going to run away from our discussion like always? Going to go find someplace where you can cry in private?"

"This isn't a 'discussion', it's a castigation. I am leaving before I say something I regret."

"Pussy!" she spat, knowing how much I hated it when she used profanity.

I left our room, and after checking on the girls, went downstairs to the front door, passing my mother-in-law.

"Going out?" she asked pleasantly.

"Uh, yeah..." I stuttered, wondering if she had heard us upstairs. "Just running down to the convenience store to grab some diapers. Can I get you anything mom?" I asked, watching her face for any of the contempt Anna had informed me of.

"Oh, I'm good," she said "although maybe you should pick up a lotto ticket while you're there, your luck could only get better." she finished, smugly.

She knew.

I grabbed the car keys from off the counter and fled.

Driving down to the convenience store, I mulled over the recent exchange with my wife and mother-in-law. It appeared that my wife was right, her mother loathed me.

I sighed painfully. Where had it all gone wrong? I had only ever wanted what was best for my family. I was by no means anyone special, but I worked hard, first at the foundry, than later at school. Hoping that the harder I worked, the greater the chance she would love me again. Maybe even respect me.

I had failed.

It seemed that Anna was determined to never love me again, she had made up her mind about that already.

Walking into the store, I wandered aimlessly down the aisles, picking up a treat for the older girls, and diapers for the baby.

When I took my items up to the register, I was involuntarily shaken out of my stupor. There at the check out, were two of the most beautiful people I had ever seen, a waif like brunette, and a man with hair like copper. They shared one distinctive trait, blazingly green eyes.

"Will that be all for you sir?" The man asked kindly.

"Yes, thank you." I said faintly.

"Edward!" chided the beautiful pixie "you forgot, any purchase over ten dollars gets a free lotto ticket."

"Of course, Alice. Sorry, I forgot." he said, taking the ticket from her, and handing it to me.

"Um, thanks," I said "but I didn't pick any numbers."

"Oh that's okay," said the man "it's a...quick pick."

"That's right," said the girl "hold on to that ticket, I have a feeling you are going to get lucky."

"That would be a first." I muttered, causing the girl to smile sympathetically.

Going out to the car, I unlocked the door and put my purchase in the passenger seat, the lotto ticket I put in my wallet. Buckling up, I put the key in the ignition, turning it.

Nothing. The car was absolutely dead. I tried again, with the same result.

Punching the steering wheel, I finally swore. What else could go wrong? This car was brand new, Anna's baby. She was not only going to be pissed, she was going to be pissed at me!

I got out of the car, locking it up. I started the five mile walk home, wondering how I was going to tell my wife and avoid another tongue lashing at the same time.

"Give me your money!!"

Startled, I looked up to find myself surrounded by a bunch of young thugs.

"What!" I asked in disbelief.

"You heard me asshole," the young man in front of me demanded, trying to hide his nerves through false bravado "give me your money, or I'm gonna stick you full of holes."

"First of all, I don't have any money, I spent it on diapers," I said, lifting my arms to show my purchases. "Secondly, why would you want to do something like this? Gang initiation?" Looking around at the young men, I asked without thinking "Whats the name of this gang? Dumbasses'R'us?"

The next thing I knew, I was tackled by four or five of the guys, who proceeded to pound me to a pulp for the next two minutes, until a car started driving up the street towards us.

"Lets beat it man!" I heard one of them say.

"One more thing," I recognized the voice of the kid that had demanded money "this."

My chest exploded in pain as a knife was jammed in between my ribs.

"Lets go, you moron!" I heard their footsteps fade into the distance, as I concurrently heard a car screech to a halt beside me.

"It's going to be kind of hard to enjoy his newfound wealth if he is dead, Alice."

"I know Edward," sang a familiar voice "but this had to happen. We Need him in our cause. There are things that only he can do."

"I'll get his car home, tell his wife about the attack."

"Like that cast iron bitch would care. She has never appreciated him for what he was, nor for how hard he worked. She absolutely refuses to see the goodness in his soul!"

"Lets see how this plays out. I'll get his chest if you get his arms and legs."

My trip to merciful darkness was suddenly disrupted by another stabbing pain, a series of them in fact. Two to my chest, one to each of my extremities. I started to thrash, until a wave of comfort washed over me, eliminating the pain, and sweeping me into oblivion. The last thing I heard was the pixie's musical voice saying: "I can't wait to see her face when she sees him after this. Nobody mistreats my great- grandson and gets away with it. Edward, call the boys and tell them to have the sharks blood ready."


	2. Chapter 2

Hope Begins Chapter Two

_Anna's POV_:

A gentle, yet insistent knock came at the door.

I looked at the clock by the bed, it read 1:45 am. Jordan had been gone for over four hours. Bastard! I had fallen asleep worried about him, feeling more than a little guilty for the way I had intentionally hurt him.

I had decided to apologize to him when he returned, but when an hour had passed, I started to get angry again. What did he think he was doing? It only took twenty or thirty minutes tops to run to the store for diapers.

After two hours, my mother went to bed. Looking at me, she just sighed and shook her head.

"Looks like your husband is going to take a little while to lick his wounds." she said, rolling her eyes.

Damn him! How dare he embarrass me? Again!

He was always embarrassing me.

We would go out to dinner and he could always find it in himself to start a conversation with complete strangers in the booth next to us, chatting pleasantly about what movie they were planning on seeing, or activity that was planned that night. Always cracking jokes, reveling in making others laugh. He just couldn't see how ridiculous he looked. How he embarrassed me.

I knew inside, Jordan just had an effusive nature. He genuinely liked people. He loved our daughters, never regretting not having a son. He could be wonderful. I just wish he would turn it down a notch.

I also wished he was more successful.

Jordan had five brothers. Each one extraordinarily successful at what they did for a living, making plenty of money. None of their wives had to work. I would tell him all the time, if they could do it, so could he. If he wanted to.

I know he wanted to be a winner, he just had no confidence.

I wish I had seen it sooner. Before I married him.

I was attracted to him physically; he was so darn handsome, and charming; but now those same traits just irritate me.

It doesn't even help that he has aged so well. At thirty-seven, he was still mistaken for twenty-three or twenty four. I know part of it has to do with the religious work-out schedule he kept, just as I knew he did it out of insecurity. He was always so afraid of losing me.

I don't know how I feel anymore, some days I will see how tender he is with our daughters, how protective he is of me, and my heart just melts. I know beyond any doubt whatsoever, he would gladly die to save me or any one of the girls, I just wish he could have that same confidence, and _live_ for us.

I know I have a horrible temper. I know that at times, I cross the line into verbal abuse territory. Sometimes I can't seem to help myself, I try to goad him to anger, get a reaction out of him.

Just once, I would like to see him stop being such a _sensitive man, _and just be a man. Lose his temper. Maybe get a little scary. He was such a wuss.

The knocking came again, as before, gentle yet insistent.

"Dumbass," I thought to myself "probably forgot his keys. I am going to tear him a new one for embarrassing me like this."

Putting on my robe, I tiptoed down the stairs to let my idiot husband in. When I opened the door, I was startled to see, not Jordan, but a complete stranger!

"Mrs. Wirthlin?" He asked, face hidden in the shadows.

I shut the door as fast as I could, heart pounding. How did he know my name?

"I am sorry for startling you, ma'am. My name is Edward Cullen. Dr. Edward Cullen. I am afraid your husband has been gravely injured."

Injured? Jordan? Could be a trick.

"I understand your reluctance to speak with me, so I will just tell you what happened through the door."

He paused, expectantly.

"Go ahead," I told him "I'm listening."

"Very well. It seems your husband was at the store picking up a few things, when he came outside, he saw a group of young men trying to harm my little sister in the parking lot. She told me that he didn't even pause, he just charged in, bellowing like a bull. He took down three of them before the others rallied."

Jordan did what?

Dr. Cullen went on "Mrs. Wirthlin, I am afraid that before help arrived, your husband was badly beaten. He sustained a great deal of trauma to his face, and worse. He was stabbed in the chest."

I felt my knees give out.

All those horrible things I said to him, and for what? To elicit some Neanderthalic, chest beating reaction? Jordan just did more than prove he was a man. Probably needed to prove it to himself, after all the things I said to him!

No. He stepped in to protect that girl because that is who he is. Was?

"Is my husband going to be okay, Dr. Cullen?"

"As I said, he was badly beaten. I arrived to meet my sister just as he had been stabbed. My car scared off the young thugs. 911 was taking too long, so I checked his injuries, ascertained that it was safe to move him, than took him to my house. I had been taking care of my aunt who just passed away from cancer, so I still had a hospital bed, and all the medical supplies I needed. I cleaned him up, stabilized him, and hurried over here to tell you as fast as I could. I also brought your car. I will put the keys in your mailbox, along with my cell number. You can call the police, I just finished filing the incident with them."

"Why are you doing all this?" I asked him. "Why not just wait with him for an ambulance?"

"As I said," he replied "they were taking to long. As he had just saved my sister, I could hardly deny him care that I could readily supply." he paused "Also, my father is a plastic surgeon. He is visiting us for the holidays, and as your husband saved his youngest daughter, he is not going to stand idly by and watch Jordan go through live physically scarred. We owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude, Mrs. Wirthlin. Money is no object, we **will** restore him."

I heard him walk down the porch steps, "Call when you are ready."

After a moment, I looked out the window. Sure enough- there was my car. I decided to wait until morning to get the keys out of the mailbox. In the meantime, I called the police, who corroborated Dr. Cullen's story, adding that I was lucky to have a doctor there so quickly. If he hadn't driven up when he did, my husband would be dead right now.

Thanking the officer, I hung up the phone.

Then I started to cry.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch.15 Broadening Horizons And Damn Near Perfection

I could hear and feel the road as it passed underneath the tires of car into which I had been loaded. The girl named Alice sat in the seat next to me, driving.

She was crazy. No. She was crazy, _and _apparently, I was at her mercy.

This was bizarre, I was conscious, but not entirely awake. Somewhere in between, I think.

I certainly was not in control of my body; I couldn't move at all; however, I was _aware _of my body in a way that almost defied description.

The sanity rending pain I had briefly felt prior to being loaded into the car was entirely gone, however I could _feel_ everything inside my body. Literally. I could feel the molecules realign themselves into a more orderly pattern than nature intended. Of that I was positive, of the five _remedial_ classes I had taken last semester, one of them had been Physics 1010, and I could remember that the law of Entropy dictated that matter went from a state of order, to a state of disorder, not the other way around. What I was sensing, was almost as impossible as the fact that I _could_ sense it. Feel it.

I was aware of my body's cells going into overdrive; dividing, multiplying, shifting, moving. My skin cells were increasing at an exponential rate, leading me to believe that the crazy lady next to me had infected me with some kind of mutated, fast acting cancer.

But that didn't explain why, or _how_, I was _so_ aware, of what was going on inside me, or _around_ me for that matter.

By this time, my skin tissue had become so plentiful, I did not understand why I hadn't turned into some grotesque, shapeless lump. There was no morphological change whatsoever.

But there _was_ change.

With a sudden burst of insight, I understood that all the cellular shifting, the molecular realigning, the cell division, were leading to many, many changes. An exponential increase in my body's density was among them.

Another alteration to self that I was experiencing, was an obliteration of countless mental barriers, psychological, as well as biological.

I could understand how I was responsible for so many of the overwhelming obstacles that had been in my way. My lack of understanding was self-induced. I could see how much of my wife's anger that was directed at me, was derived from her frustrations with my self-imposed limitations; my lack of confidence, my endless attempts to compensate for my shortcomings, and my utter lack of effort to understand, and conquer them. Anna _did_ love me, she just had no idea how to _deal_ with me. She thought strictly in a linear pattern; absolute focus without distraction, any deviance from an established plan was not to be tolerated; whereas I was the exact polar opposite. _Everything_ was a distraction to me, and it took everything I had to get _anything_ done. I couldn't understand why, and Anna couldn't understand me, it was _this _that led to so many of our problems. I could comprehend this now with crystal clarity, just as I also understood _why_.

The frenzied molecular alterations that were happening, were occurring throughout my _entire _body, including my brain.

The neurons were the only cells not dividing, rather they were growing, stretching, almost as if they were lovers, reaching out to each other, in a desperate attempt to clasp hands one last time.

This was an appropriate metaphor, as the increase in electrical current flowing between them was staggering!

An old scientific cliché' came to mind, the old "humans only use five percent of their brain". As my mind continued to expand, work faster, and more efficiently, I realized that there was some truthfulness behind this statement. I could estimate with considerable accuracy, that my mental capacity had increased to thirty eight point six, seven, three percent, and growing.

I sent my awareness elsewhere in my body, duly noting that the satellite cells were also replicating at blinding speed, developing into additional muscle fibers, and weaving themselves into my established muscle groups, thereby increasing the tissue density exponentially there as well.

I didn't know what exactly I was evolving into, but I did know that if whatever it was that had blocked my nerve receptors had not done so, I would be in excruciating pain right now!

I became aware of somebody speaking to me. It was Alice, she was explaining that I was becoming...a vampire!!?

Oh, you gotta be kidding me, I _knew_ she was a head case! Clearly, her perception of reality was completely warped. Somebody's parents failed to explain to her that vampires just did not exist.

But then, what was currently happening to me was taken straight from the pages of some kid's comic book- so whose to say that vampires didn't exist?

It was at this point, that I became aware of two things: First, the cell division, as well as the molecular reorganization happening in my body, began to slow down until it stopped altogether, and in an instant-went through a process I can only describe as...a crystallization; Second, although my pain receptors had been blocked, I noticed that what had began as a warm sort of itch in the back of my throat, suddenly escalated into some kind of oral conflagration. The burning and itching sensation was intolerable! It felt like the jock itch I had gotten in my manly dangles back in high school, but multiplied a thousand times!

At this point, I heard a deep, yet musical voice guffaw, and mutter "Manly dangles!" followed by more laughter, and from more than one source.

"Do you boys have the sharks blood ready?" I heard Alice ask.

Sharks blood?

"It's all ready, darling." I heard another musical, yet unmistakably masculine voice respond with a faint southern drawl.

At this point, I felt somebody insert rubber, medical tubing into my mouth, and a voice said "He is going to be coming around in a minute and twenty-three seconds, is Renee coming?"

"I am right here." came a chime like woman's voice beside my left ear. "Jordan," she said soothingly "what you are feeling right now is the thirst. I know your great-grandmother explained to you all about vampires; the thirst is the insatiable craving for blood, particularly human blood. What we are going to do right now, is stop it before it can truly start." she went on "You see, Jordan, the world has mistakenly determined the great white shark to be the ultimate predator, and it is-in the ocean. There is only one other predator that surpasses it. The vampire. You."

Oh crap! They are serious!

"Yes Jordan," said the woman "we are serious. And there is a connection between these two predators. You see, a vampire's lust for blood has always been unquenchable, until lately. We have discovered that although the lust is for human blood, the blood of a great white is the only thing that will quench it."

At this point, the burning in my throat moved beyond my control, and my eye snapped open. I was thirsty, and somebody was going to get hurt!

However, before I could move, my mouth was suddenly flooded with wonderful, delicious warmth; ambrosia; nectar; food of the gods. I'd never had _anything_ like it.

Just like that, the fire was snuffed out, and my newly, crystallized self just as quickly developed countless, microscopic fractures.

Desperate to consume as much of the soothing, delectable substance as I could, I started pulling it through the tubing as fast and furiously as I could.

The woman's beautiful voice continued.

"Jordan, I want you to continue feeding until you are ready to stop- but I also want you to close your eyes, and listen to my voice."

I obeyed, closing my eyes.

"I want you to let your awareness drift back inside of your body. I know that you have noticed how your body has changed."

Did I ever!!

" What you may not have noticed, in the distraction caused by your thirst, is that your heart has stopped."

Stopped? Holy Crap! Does that mean I am dead?

Laughing, she answered my unspoken thought.

"We used to think so, but we have learned that rather than being one of the 'undead', this is actually a case of stalled metamorphosis. You are, for all intents and purposes, in a state of conscious, mobile, stasis. That is the reason for the crystalline appearance of your body, inside and out."

Out? What in the world must I look like? A monster?

"Anything but," she said "actually you are a creature of extraordinary beauty. Even for a vampire."

"Better not let your husband her you say that, Renee." another voice said teasingly.

"Oh hush, Charlie." Renee said affectionately.

"Now Jordan," she continued "coming back to the task at hand, you have no doubt also noticed your mental faculties being enhanced."

Oh-h yeah. I estimated I was able to use at least forty-two percent of my brain.

"Good. I want you to use this, and focus on your heart."

I did as she asked, and saw that indeed, my heart seemed to be crystallized like everything else, unable to beat.

"I want you to pour all of your concentration on your heart Jordan, focus on restarting it."

In the past, I could never have mustered the kind of focus she demanded. Now, however, I was able to tighten my concentration into laser-like focus. With that laser, I struck at the crystal that was my heart, which seemed to absorb all the energy I was pouring into it.

At first, nothing happened. Then, in my mind's eye- my heart started to glow, fractures appeared, running up and down it's length, pouring out a brilliant light.

In the next instant, that crystal shattered in an explosion of prisms.

Ba-boom! Ba-boom! Ba-boom!

I could feel my heart start back up, and then, what felt like a brilliant light flood my veins, stretching them, causing them as well as the rest of my body to break free.

It was the most incredible feeling I had _ever_ experienced.

Then, the light racing through my veins turned to fire, and this pain dwarfed the earlier pain I had briefly experienced.

I endured this mind shredding pain just as briefly.

"It's alright." soothed Renee's voice "Your body is just finishing it's transformation, it will pass in about an hour. I will stay here with you the whole time." she promised.

In the absence of the pain, I could go back to investigating the changes in my body.

I felt almost as if I could encompass all of eternity within my mind. I could see, and understand so much, it was almost overwhelming. Yet with the opening of my mind came an equally strengthened ability to cope, thereby preserving my sanity.

I spent the rest of the hour marveling at the changes wrought in my body, and could scarcely wait to finish the process.

At length, I was able to open my eyes. There sat Renee, smiling at me. She was unimaginably beautiful. I had never seen her equal.

Hearing my thoughts, her smile broadened as she stood up, gesturing me to do the same.

"Turn around." she suggested.

Doing so, I saw that there was a mirror behind me, but the creature staring back could not possibly be me. I mean, although I tried not to dwell on it, I had always known I was handsome. But this creature was perfection!

Looking closer, I could see that it was indeed me-but so very different.

My green eyes were like twin emerald suns, the few age lines that I'd had were completely gone. My skin, flawless. And the color! I looked as if I had spent the absolutely perfect amount of time in the sun. Tan, but not overly so, and without the slightest hint of a burn.

Yet it was _more_ than that. I radiated. It was as if I chose to take the "glow of good health" literally, and internalize it, but rather than glow, I shined.

My jawline was even more chiseled than it had already been, my hair looked as if it was actually alive, rather than the lifeless by-product of my follicles that it had been.

"That is because it _is_ alive," Renee said "that is what you are seeing. The essence of life is permeating every cell of your body, which has been cleansed of every impurity, free radical, virus, bacteria, injury, scar, and everyday wear and tear."

I tried my voice for the first time since the process began. "How often do..."

I stopped, astonished at how I sounded. I could tell it was my voice, but it sounded so much richer, smoother, so much...more.

I tried again. "How often will I have to drink blood?"

"Never again." Renee said.

"How often do I need to eat then?"

"As often, or as seldom as you wish. I love good food, both cooking, and eating it. I eat every day, but I have gone a full month without eating, just to see if I could, and with no ill result.

Also, our bodies use everything that we do eat that can be used, and eliminates the rest so efficiently, we can't even get fat."

I whirled around to look in the mirror, lifting up my shirt to look at my midsection. Sure enough, that stubborn little spare donut I had spent months trying to work off, was finally gone, replaced by a two, four, six, holy crap, I had an eight pack!

Forgetting I was not alone. I tore off my shirt, what I saw staring back at me was a physique that would make all the fitness models in the workout magazines I read, cry themselves to sleep.

The pectoral muscles that I had slavishly worked to build up, only to see them start to sag with age, were bigger, more sculpted, and firmly resistant to gravity. I had never looked this good, even at my peak.

Renee answered another one of my unasked questions.

"We never_ have_ to work out either. Our bodies stay strong and supple without exercise. In fact, we are going to have to teach you how to control your strength, or you will accidentally kill someone."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Surely you can feel the strength and vitality coursing through your body?"

I nodded.

"Well, let me put it this way. A newborn vampire can slaughter hundreds of humans with little effort, moving to fast to even be seen with the human eye."

I blanched, what a horrible thought, slaughtering people. Yet, had I not felt the desire to do just that less than a few hours ago?

Renee went on. "Right now, if necessary, you could do the same to a hundred newborn vampires, and even they would be unable to track your speed."

"Wow."

"Yeah, wow doesn't even begin to cover it. A newbie can crush boulders in it's hands. You could take a diamond between your thumb and forefinger, and give it the consistency of powdered sugar in a thousandth of a second."

I looked at my hands. They looked strong. My joints, which were showing signs of wear and swelling, were smooth and supple. But crushing a diamond?

"Wouldn't the diamond just pierce the skin?" I asked.

Renee smiled again. "A vampire has skin like granite, it is hard and cold. Your skin is warm, smooth, even soft and pliable. Right?"

I nodded.

"Do not be fooled. Our skin is naturally invulnerable to physical trauma. Wherever it comes into contact with force, it's natural density automatically adjust according to need. Believe me, we have run test. My nephews actually spent an hour standing in front of a howitzer machine gun, letting it focus on the same point the entire time. It didn't even leave a red mark! I don't even want to guess how much ammunition they went through. Suffice it to say, it was extremely expensive."

"Didn't it hurt?"

"Nope."

"Wouldn't that imply that we are incapable of physical sensation, then? Yet, I can practically feel the dust motes in the air as they land on my skin if I concentrate."

"That is the key," Renee said. "thinking about it."

Grabbing a tissue, she held it beneath her wrist and closed her eyes. A second later, the tissue parted of it's own accord, letting out a drop of blood before sealing back up.

"We can control every molecule that makes up our body, if we have no interest in getting hurt, nothing can hurt us."

I thought about that for a minute, then asked "What about old age?"

"Well," she replied "we_ do_ age like everyone else, only with us, it's a choice. We are, for however long we wish to be, immortal."

I was horrified.

"But what about my wife? My children? I will not sit by and watch them age and die."

She shook her head.

"No. They will have to go through the same process that you did. But not until they are ready. "

I thought about how that would certainly detour the boys, causing Renee to laugh and shake her head.

"I would suggest waiting until they are at least eighteen." she told me.

I turned to look again at the mirror, shaking my head. I had really begun to resent my looks, and now this. What would Anna make of all this, I wondered.

"Oh my gosh, Anna!! I completely forgot. She is going to be pissed, I should have been home with the diapers hours ago!"

"Um, about that," Renee said.

I looked up at her."Yes?"

"Well, lets head upstairs for a family council and we will get things all figured out. Besides, Alice is chomping at the bit to see her great-grandson."

"Yeah, I am a bit interested in hearing that story," I said "but I really need to call my wife. Have you seen my cell phone?"

She shook her head. "It was destroyed when those thugs attacked you."

I sighed "Well, do you guys have a land line I can use?"

"Sure, upstairs."

Before I could say another word she turned and led me- thats right, upstairs.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch.4

I followed Renee up the stairs, coming into a large family room which had been gorgeously decorated for Christmas. I stared open mouthed at what had to be a twenty-five foot tree, with little, warm, white lights delicately wrapped around _every_ branch, and _every _pine needle covered finger extending from every branch. This, combined with the hundreds of beautiful decorations; some, of the purest crystal, others of finely spun gold and platinum, all with the common theme of angels, the Star of David, and the nativity; created such beauty, my eyes prickled, and to my horror, tears freely ran down my cheeks. I couldn't help it, I was so moved by the elegant sincerity of the tree.

A beautiful woman, with caramel colored hair glided to my side and reaching down, took my hand in both of hers "The tree is stunning isn't it?"

I dumbly nodded, still too moved to trust my voice with speech.

"In the months since we were able to complete our own metamorphosis, we have rediscovered our faith."

I looked up at her "So, where did you leave it?" I asked, in a pitiful attempt at humor.

She smiled. "After spending a century dependent on the blood of living creatures, the guilt is so overwhelming, that it is easier to just exist, rather than face the existence of a god who surely could not look too kindly upon us."

I thought for a minute, than said "It seems to me, that a perfect god would not condemn his own creations for following the programing He surely instilled into them in the first place. I certainly don't worry about condemnation for all the hamburgers I have enjoyed."

"It's not as simple as that," said the southern drawl I remembered from earlier "dominion over the earth was given to man, not vampires. Vampires are unholy monsters that prey upon man." he finished vehemently.

I turned to look at the source of the voice, and found yet another magnificent looking immortal looking back at me, his eyes filled with anguish.

"How long were you a vampire?" I asked.

"Too long. Since the civil war." he replied bitterly.

I whistled "Wow. So that would make you over two hundred years old, right?"

"Two hundred and fifty-four, to be precise."

"Did you feed on humans that whole time?" I asked bluntly.

"No," he replied, looking lovingly first at Alice, then turning his respectful, grateful gaze, full of child-like love to a medium sized blond haired man who had come to stand beside me and the woman who was holding my hand in what could only be described as a lovingly, maternal way.

"My father, Carlisle, showed me a better way. He taught me to feed on wildlife instead of humans." he grimaced slightly "It wasn't easy, but it was worth it,"

I thought for a second, then looked at the man with the southern drawl.

"I am not particularly religious, but from time to time I do study the scriptures." I noticed Carlisle perk with interest " If I have learned anything, it is this,"

I took a deep breath and let it out. I _hated_ talking about religion, yet since I was a small child, I have always _known_ deep inside, that there is a creator.

"God could not _be _the Creator unless he was supremely organized, it's that simple. 'A place for everything, and everything in it's place' as my wife likes to say." I winced at the mention of Anna, our marriage needed work, but I still missed her, felt incomplete without her here.

I walked to the enormous windows that comprised the wall behind the tree, gesturing at the world beyond.

"Look at the world, how it functions around us. Even with the pollution, and other negative aspects of humanity's progress, it still functions seamlessly. Like a well oiled machine." I began to get a bit more animated "Every year, the seasons come and go, with an almost clockwork precision. The moon rises every night, the sun sets every day. Even the planets move in an orderly fashion. Even one of the greatest minds of our time believed in a supreme being."

"Einstein." Carlisle murmured. I nodded in appreciation.

"During my transformation, I was shocked at what I perceived to be a violation of the established laws of physics. I could not understand how something could go from an organized state, to a _more _organized state. I have to wonder, are vampires actually meant to be some sort of evolutionary stepping stone put in place in order to enable man to progress?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" the man asked angrily.

"Jasper!" Alice said, warningly.

"Think about it, Jasper." I said, glad to finally know his name "Renee explained to me how a vampire is somebody in a state of stasis. Perhaps that was done on purpose, to force us to find our way to a state of...completion."

"So, what? Is drinking the blood of innocent people supposed to be some kind of holy sacrament?" Jasper asked sarcastically.

"Not at all. Just because a vampire thirsts after human blood, doesn't mean he _has_ to drink it." I gestured to Carlisle "If Carlisle figured out how to avoid it, others can too."

Jasper flinched at this, so I hurriedly added "But for what it is worth, it is my firm belief that a just God will not exactly condemn those vampires who have no understanding of the alternatives, and He smiles upon those who, once they do understand, embrace the alternative."

Jasper looked thoughtfully at Carlisle, who smiled and nodded.

"I'm going to say one last thing about this topic, then we need to discuss my wife."

Edward started fidgeting at the mention of Anna.

"What greater proof that you have been doing something right do you need? You are _no longer_ vampires; no longer must you feed on blood." Looking around the room, I asked "Can any of you think of anything else that can be viewed as a...blessing?"

A stunningly gorgeous blond woman stood up.

"I can," she beamed, as her hands went to her swelling abdomen. "I never believed that I would ever have a child, now I am pregnant with twins!"

Carlisle smiled fondly at her, and said "That, in and of itself, is the single biggest miracle of all."

Looking at me, he continued "The stasis of vampirism prevents pregnancy. One week after we all completed our change, Rosalie had her first menstrual cycle,"

"Oh yeah," the giant muttered "_that_ was fun."

"Hush!" Rosalie said, affectionately batting at him.

Laughing, Carlisle finished "Shortly after that, she became pregnant."

"Congratulations," I said warmly "when are you due?"

"Fourteen weeks." she said proudly.

Hearing of Rosalie's pregnancy made me miss my own children terribly.

"So," I started "what about _my_ family?"

Edward stood up.

"Jordan," he began "you have to understand that we must proceed with caution. I had to tell your wife that you were attacked, and in the interest of giving us extra time to enable you to adjust to your new condition, well, I told her the full extent of your injuries."

I whistled "I bet that went over like a lead balloon. What did she say?"

"She was understandably upset, but I told her that I would take care of you since you had sustained your injuries defending Alice."

"Are you kidding me?" I asked in disbelief.

"Not at all," he said. Smiling, he went on "I actually painted quite a heroic picture of your bravery."

"In other words," I deadpanned "you lied your immortal butt off." Laughing, I shook my head "So where do we go from here?"

It was Alice who answered that question.

"First of all, we need to help you adjust to your new condition."

"You mean my abilities?"

"Among others-don't forget, you received a free lotto ticket with your purchase of ten dollars or more." she smiled.

"Uh, okay." I said, confused.

"Jordan," she said, exasperated "do I need to spell it out for you? I gave you the _winning_ lotto ticket, you are now twenty-three million dollars richer!"

"What, you serious about this?"

"Take it from me," said Charlie wryly "she is serious."

Looking at Alice, I told her "I don't even want to know how, I just want to know _why_ you did it?"

She tsked, "I told you, I am your great- grandmother, I want to take care of you."

"All right," I said irately "you _keep_ saying that, but you were changed at what, eighteen? If vampires are unable to reproduce, you care to explain that one to me? Because I've got nothing." Laughing bitterly, I added "But I have to warn you, I can't even give you any history, because I was..."

"Adopted. Yes I know." She said.

"Jordan, my mother put me into an asylum at eighteen only _partly_ because of my visions of the future. The other reason was because I had gotten pregnant by a boy who claimed to want to marry me. That type of thing was harshly judged back then, and my mother, wanting to avoid the shame, sent me away to live with her sister. They took your grandfather from me and stuck him in an orphanage. After I my thirst was quenched, I started to remember everything, and using considerable resources, I tracked him down to a lonely graveyard he had been buried in at the ripe old age of eighty. He had a daughter who had died giving birth to you. Rather than stick you in an orphanage like he had been, he permitted your adoption into a good family."

"They are good," I admitted "and I feel lucky to have them. But I have always felt separate from them; different. I was happy because on one hand, somebody saw me as an infant, and wanted me for their own, enough to love me, feed me, clothe me, raise me, but I was also sad, because on the flip side, somebody didn't."

Rosalie, eyes shining, walked over to me and with Alice pulled me into a crushing embrace.

"You have several families now Jordan," Alice crooned softly "The one that adopted you, the one you helped to create, and now you have come home to me."

"To all of us." Rosalie said, her voice full of tears.

The next thing I Knew, I was engulfed in the biggest group hug I have ever witnessed as everyone in the room joined us, squeezing my arm, patting my back, and whispering words of love. Next to the births of my daughters, and my wedding day, this was the happiest day of my life, and I felt as if I would burst with joy.

As everybody started to step back a little, I found myself engulfed in a monstrous hug by the giant, whom I finally learned was named Emmet "Welcome to our family." was all he said, but he said it with such sincerity that I couldn't help but return the hug just as fiercely.

At that moment, Edward's cellphone went off. Answering it he smiled "Hello Anna. How are you? The good news is that Jordan sustained far less damage than we had originally feared, the knife only grazed his ribs. The bad news is that he sustained some serious lacerations to the face, but we made preparations, and he is actually down at my clinic having the damage repaired by my father. We will have to keep his face bandaged for awhile," he went on, winking at me "but he will be ready for visitors by this evening. Great, we will see you soon."

I was in awe of this man's B.S ability.

Carlisle stood up "As it appears that Edward has bought us some time, why don't we take Jordan out and give him a bit of a tutorial in his new life?"


	5. Chapter 5

Ch. 17 The Thrill Of New Discoveries

"What you need to understand, Jordan, is it's imperative that you always remember to be aware of what you are doing, and where you are doing it." Edward told me.

"Um, okay?"

He sighed "Perhaps a demonstration would be a more effective means of explanation." Turning around, he called over his shoulder "Follow me, and try to keep up-if you can." With that he took off at a brisk jog in a Northerly direction.

Chasing after him, I called out "Shouldn't we warm up or something first?"

I ran several miles every morning before lifting weights, and I was pretty fast, but I was also unable to run even a half mile, without first spending time seriously stretching.

Laughing, Edward shook his head "Trust me, you'll be fine. Just keep running." He didn't even sound winded. Come to think of it, neither did I.

The overwhelming health and vitality that I could feel coursing through my veins began to perk up; like a puppy who just saw a ball roll past him and decides to give chase. The muscles in my legs felt warm, resilient; thrumming with power.

I followed Edward on a well worn path just outside his house, having to continually increase my pace to keep up with him; it wasn't anything I had to think about- more of a reflex, really.

"How are you holding up," he asked tauntingly "ready to stop for a rest yet?"

My answer was to speed passed him, grinning at the look of surprise on his face. That grin slid from _my_ face, however, when he returned the favor. This gave rise to an unusual feeling of competitiveness in me, which led to me speeding past him once again. We had kept this pattern going for several minutes, when I became aware of the pace at which we were moving. Trees were whipping passed us with blinding speed, causing me to brace for the inevitable impact that was surely coming my way; this was western Washington-the state with more trees per square inch, than anywhere else in the country. Even _regular_ people ran or rode mountain bikes with care through these parts(I had a cousin who was an expert mountain biker, and even he had split his helmet in two when he hit a tree while riding through nearly identical terrain), and here we were, running at unimaginable speed, through a densely-packed forest as if smashing into a tree weren't even an option!

I did notice, however, that the faster we moved through the wilderness, the faster my reflexes responded-causing the old cliché' "Faster than greased lightening" to come to mind; I felt like I was performing an intricate dance as I ducked, turned, twisted, and leaped over every wooden obstacle that tried to bar my path.

The idea of dancing reminded me of Christmas Eve, when I'd learned that Anna and her mother had decided to take the two older girls to see The Nutcracker ballet, leaving me and the baby at home, alone. When I had asked Anna why she had not purchased tickets for the _whole_ family, she told me that it would be inappropriate to take a baby to such a formal event, and as it had actually been her mother who had purchased the tickets, and they had decided to make it a _girls night out_. Besides, she told me, manly men didn't care for such effeminate entertainment. I responded by reminding her that I _loved_ The Nutcracker, causing her to look at me with disdain, before replying that _that_ was only part of my problem, so I had better "man up". Watch some football while they were out, or something.

What would she say now, I wondered, if she could see not only the speed, but the preternatural grace with which I could now move?

Edward came to a stop, so I did the same.

"Do you have any idea how far we have run?" he asked.

"Honestly, I wasn't exactly paying attention." I admitted.

"I noticed." Edward smiled.

"So...how far _have_ we gone?"

"Over two hundred and fifty miles." he responded, grinning. "We crossed into Canada five minutes ago."

I was stunned, we hadn't run for more than _fifteen _minutes. I did the calculations in my head: Over two hundred miles in fifteen minutes- we were running at over sixteen and a half miles per minute, which meant that...

"We were running a _thousand miles per hour_?" I gasped.

"More or less." Edward replied, nonchalantly.

I remembered a sixth-grade project I had done twenty-six years earlier.

"Wait a damn minute!" I barked, " At sea level and roughly fifty-nine degrees Fahrenheit, the speed of sound is only seven hundred and sixty-one miles per hour. I neither heard, nor felt the sonic boom that accompanies any kind of breach of the sound barrier. How is that possible?"

"When I was a vampire," Edward said, "I was always the fastest in the family. Even so, I never made it past four hundred miles per hour; with the completion of my change, I seem to discover new abilities on a regular basis." He continued "Among these, of course, is that I am faster than I have _ever_ been-in fact, I _still_ haven't hit my top speed; I am trying to exercise some caution here; but also I have noticed that when we are running, our bodies automatically generate an invisible energy field that somehow enables us to move without any kind of atmospheric friction."

"And without that friction," I finished, "you cannot break the sound barrier regardless of your speed."

"That's right," he agreed, "we just seem to somehow slipthrough some heretofore _undiscovered_ gap in that barrier."

"Amazing." I whispered

Edward nodded solemnly "We will be studying the changes in our bodies for a long, long time; we are _still_ discovering new abilities with regular frequency."

Dazzled by the impossibility of the events of these past few days, I could only ask "What else?"

"H mm?"

"What else? What else can we do?" I demanded.

"Oh, many, many things. Some we will tell you about,"

"Some?" I interrupted.

"Some." Edward repeated firmly. "We do not want to give you any preconceived notions as to whatever limitations may exist. Although we do all have the same general abilities to one extent or another. We are rather like mortals who are healthy, and whole-capable of running, skipping, jumping, etc...but who have individual talents at which they excel. Such as the choir girl who has a lovely voice, and can sing beautifully-yet compared to, say, a professional opera soloist, pales in comparison."

I nodded my head, beginning to understand.

"So also," he continued "are we able to utilize the same gifts, to varying degrees. I am extremely gifted at hearing the thoughts of others, but you will find yourself able to hear them as well, though you will find that the thoughts of loved ones are easiest to pick up, with practice you will be able to increase your capacity. However I must warn you, being able to hear the thoughts of _any-and everybody_ is worse than distracting, it is horrible."

"You can hear the thoughts of _everyone_?"

Edward nodded somberly.

"Even more so these last few months. Thankfully, I have also developed the ability to shut it off at will; I couldn't do that before."

We continued talking the rest of the afternoon, and I soaked up every scrap of knowledge Edward shared with me. I was eager to start practicing the skills that were of immediate necessity- such as controlling this immense strength he told me of, but also, I was eager to begin investigating my potential talents.

"How do the talents we had as mortals translate?" I asked him as we stood up to begin the run home.

"They seem to cross over with us, only they are comparatively enhanced. Why, is there something you are looking forward to trying?"

I clenched and unclenched my hands, reveling in their newfound strength, and dexterity.

"Yeah," I answered, "I loved the guitar growing up, took lessons and all that. I could understand how to play it, and had a knack for it, only..." I hesitated.

"Go on." Edward urged.

"I was born with 'double jointed' fingers," I explained "sure they were flexible, but that was about it. They weren't as strong as I would have liked them to be, nor were they very coordinated. The only way I could ever play with any smoothness at all, would be to play slowly, and with as much focus as I could muster-in other words, playing and singing at the same time was as beyond me as any Jimmie Hendrix speed solos."

"Now," Edward said, thoughtfully. "that is something I can't _wait_ to find out. But, Anna is going to be visiting you on your "sickbed" in an hour, so we need to get home and make the needed preparations."

I felt a small thrill of nerves go through me.

"Don't worry," Edward soothed, "we will be there if you need us; you are not alone."

With that, we raced each other home.


	6. Chapter 6

Ch.18 Between Me And Thee

_Anna's POV_

Following Dr. Cullen's directions, I turned onto a long driveway framed on either side by trees, and leading up to a breath-taking home. I suppose if one were to count only the square footage, it would be counted as a mansion. However, by definition, the word "mansion" evokes images of an ostentatious, and lavish lifestyle. I could see little sign of that here.

Oh, Dr. Cullen's home was beautiful, without question- yet, despite it's enormity, I was still left with the impression that this place was truly built to be a home.

I felt more than a little apprehensive about seeing Jordan for the first time since he fled my wrath to go buy diapers (had it really only been four days ago?). Uncertain about what I would find, I chose to leave the girls with my mother, much to their displeasure; however much my children loved their Grammy, they absolutely adored their daddy, and missed him terribly. Yet, I did not want them to have to suffer any shock at seeing the damage done to Jordan's face. And there _would_ be damage.

As an ER nurse, I had seen patients come in who had suffered as brutal an attack as I understood my husband to have suffered- and I had yet to see a plastic surgeon skillful enough to fully restore such a ravaged face to it's original form.

I felt a twinge of guilt, because I knew that on some level, I was lamenting the superficial damage done to my husband, rather than focusing my entire concern on his well-being. But if he was truly robbed of his masculine beauty, would I really be able to stay married to him? They seemed to be his one redeeming trait, and I honestly did not know if I could see myself playing Esmeralda, if Jordan was indeed Quasimodo.

Parking the car, I got out and walked slowly to the porch, and up to the door.

Before I could even knock, the door swept open, and there in the doorway stood the single most beautiful man I had ever seen. His face was chiseled to perfection, his hair seemed to glow like burnished copper, and his eyes...they were a shade of green that seemed to defy description. Dark, yet filled with emerald fire. His complexion was a blend of olive tone skin, braised with a golden tan, and the slightest flush in his cheeks, all perfectly balanced.

"Anna?" he smiled, revealing a radiant smile and leaving me momentarily speechless.

I dumbly nodded my head, then mentally shaking myself, I cleared my throat. "Yes. Dr. Cullen?"

He nodded, then stood aside, inviting me in.

"I have to say, I am thrilled to have you here. Jordan has been beside himself with worry."

Puzzled, I asked "Worried? Is he going to be okay?"

"Oh, absolutely," Dr. Cullen enthused "he has just worried about any inconvenience he might be causing you. He insists that he feels fine, and up until yesterday, was demanding that we call you so you could all go home. He said you both had to get back to work, and was very displeased when I told him he would need to stay for quite some time yet, to ensure his full recovery."

I thought about that a moment, and then asked "What happened yesterday?"

Smiling slightly, and looking a bit uncomfortable, he shrugged and said "I'll let him tell you."

Narrowing my eyes with suspicion, I asked "Dr. Cullen, what are you talking about?"

"Oh please, call me Edward."

"All right, Edward, what the hell are you talking about?"

Coming to a door, Edward opened it, beckoning me inside. "I'll let him tell you." he repeated softly before retreating.

Taking in my surroundings, I saw a room that was beautifully, yet modestly decorated, with a hospital bed at it's center.

I felt my breathing hitch, there in the bed, laying motionless, was a figure whose face, and chest were swathed in bandages, as were his hands, up to his forearms. He had on what looked to be designer, silk pajamas. The shirt fully unbuttoned, and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

"Jordan?"

The figure stirred slightly, but before he could say a word, the door to the room burst open, and in danced a beautifully, flawless brunette, followed by a stunning blond. Both with eyes similar to Edward, and both radiating that same...radiance.

Was there anybody in this family who wasn't _flawless_?

"Hi," sang the brunette in a lovely voice, "you must be Anna. I'm Alice-Jordan's 'damsel in distress'. You have quite the husband you know, I would not be here, if he hadn't stepped in."

Watching as she fluffed _my_ husband's pillows, and tenderly took his hand in hers, I could only think to myself that I wish she wasn't her _now._

For a moment, I feared that I had spoken the thought out loud, as the blond looked up from where she had been gently checking bandages, and gave me a challenging smile while reaching over and possessively taking Jordan's other bandaged hand.

"Yes," she said in a sweet tone that seemed to bely the smile she had just given me, "Jordan saved our family more grief than we want to imagine, when he stepped in to save my sister." Looking me up and down, she finished "You are one _lucky_ woman." in a tone that implied luck having everything to do with it.

If they could see Jordan when he was more of an absent-minded, bumbling fool, their hero worship might cool just a bit.

Again, I feared I might have spoken out loud, as Alice's head snapped up, giving me a dark look.

The door opened, and in stepped _another_ insanely attractive man; obviously a Cullen. Looking at me, he smiled. "Hi, you must be Anna, I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen."

Doing a double-take, I asked "The plastic surgeon? As in Edward's _father_?" That couldn't be right, surely I misunderstood-this man could barely pass for Edward's _brother_.

"Now Anna, surely you can see that I could generate more business looking like this at fifty," he admonished, pointing at his face "than if I actually _looked_ fifty. If people see the superior kind of treatments they can get at my clinic, then they _come_ to my clinic."

Edward came up behind his father, "That's right- it's not vanity, just good business, eh Dad?" he said, wryly.

Carlisle beamed at his son "I've taught you well."

Turning to Jordan, he asked "So how is our favorite hero today?"

"I wish you would quit calling me that." came Jordan's muffled reply. At least, I thought it sounded like my husband. There was something different about his voice...I shrugged, it must be the bandages.

Looking at me, Carlisle said "Now Anna, I don't want you to worry about anything, your husband is going to be just fine."

"How bad was the damage exactly?" I asked.

"Well, when he was attacked, not only did they badly beat him, they inflicted knife wounds along both sides of his mandible," he gestured to both sides of his jaw, running his fingers from just underneath the earlobes to his chin.

"Mandible, what am I, a bug?" joked Jordan, again catching me off guard (what was _with_ his voice?)

Carlisle continued as if my husband hadn't said anything "then they tried cutting his throat; missing his carotid artery by a hair." I gasped, and felt myself sicken at the thought of what my husband had recently been through, yet there he was in the hospital bed, making jokes.

"Also, there were several men holding him down, and in the process of trying to cut his throat, they badly bruised his vocal cords." _That _was why he sounded different! "The lacerations were quite severe, and some of the tissue couldn't be saved." Shuddering, I involuntarily visualized how Jordan's disfigured face must have looked after the attack. Noting my reaction, Carlisle smiled "Actually," he said, "I think you will be quite pleased with the results-since the tissue that I had to excise was right around the jawline, I was able to run the sutures just inside that line, and underneath-looking straight at him, you won't see _any_ scarring. In fact, I daresay that my stitching was so small, tight, and precise, I doubt even with your years as a nurse you will be able to see any scarring whatsoever. In short, at thirty-seven, your husband may be the youngest patient I have ever performed a face lift on."

"So he will look normal?" I asked, relieved.

"Well, that depends on your definition of normal," he replied with a chuckle, "he will have lost any facial lines he has earned. He will probably give even you a run for your money, in the youthful looks department."

"How long do you estimate his recovery time to be?" I asked.

"Several weeks. Longer, if I have my way. I want to make sure he gets the best care possible. Is that going to be a problem?"

I shook my head. "No. I don't think so, I actually have more than fourteen weeks of P.T.O saved up at the hospital. It just pays out at a slightly lower rate, so I need to figure out a game plan for how to make this all work."

Alice, finally letting go of Jordan's hand, stepped forward. "Actually Anna, there is something that I would like to discuss with you along those lines."

Uncertain, I looked over at Jordan, who was being checked over by Carlisle.

"Why don't you girls go ahead," he said, not looking up from my husband's bandages "I am going to be a while."

With that, I reluctantly let myself be led out the door by the unearthly brunette beauty, whom I was steadily beginning to detest.

Not saying a word, Alice led me out the front door, to a gigantic building, that I belatedly realized was a garage.

"I thought we might find a little more privacy to talk if we go for a drive."

A drive? I had _no_ desire to even go for a walk with this woman, let alone a drive. But, resigned to my fate, I silently followed.

Entering the garage, she led me to a beautiful, canary yellow, Italian sports car.

"Is that a Ferrari?" I sputtered.

Smiling, Alice gently corrected me, "Actually, it's a Lamborghini Diablo- my husband just bought it for me as a graduation present."

Husband? So she _was_ married. Admiring her gorgeous new toy, I idly wondered if she would consider trading husbands. I knew Jordan would never be able to lavish _me_ with such gifts.

Alice keyed the remote before we made it to the car, and looking around, I noticed at least two dozen other grossly expensive sports cars and sport utility vehicle's. The Cullen family was clearly quite wealthy.

I got into the car with Alice, noting the Italian leather interior, the high-tech sound system and GPS, as well as a myriad of other systems I couldn't begin to recognize. Nor could I help but appreciate the sound of the car as she turned the ignition. Smooth, quiet, yet resonating with power.

Pulling out of the garage, Alice drove up the lengthy driveway towards the road.

"Anna," she began, "can I ask you a question or two?"

I was immediately on my guard. "About what?" I hedged.

"Your husband, what else?"

"I guess," I agreed, reluctantly.

She dove right in.

"Has he always talked in his sleep?"

Startled by the question, I could only say: "No. No, he never has our entire marriage."

Looking sideways at me, she asked "But don't you work nights? I would imagine that you don't sleep at the same time very often."

My first response was too bristle with outrage at her presumptuousness, but then, almost against my will, I thought back to all the nights when I was at home during the night; my schedule, being the exact opposite of everyone else's; I often just stayed up most of the night watching television, or reviewing cases, and I would usually wake up after Jordan had left for work, and school.

This thought led me to remember how I had never woken up at this time, without a cozy blanket draped over me, and some kind of delicious breakfast sitting on the coffee table that my husband had somehow quietly cooked, setting it there before he left, all without waking me up. How he managed to do this, I could never figure out, as I was a very light sleeper. But manage it he did, and frequently. In fact, it was always the smell of the food that woke me up. Jordan was an _excellent_ cook.

I had never realized it before, but was it possible that I took my husband for granted?

Alice cleared her throat, bringing me back to the present.

Embarrassed, I shook my head and answered honestly "No." I said "No, we don't sleep together very often." Perhaps I needed to rectify that. Soon.

"Did you know he sometimes _cries_ in his sleep?"

Stunned, I could only look at her dumbly, until I was able to reply "W-w-what?"

Alice nodded, and looking down, I saw that she was gripping the steering wheel tight enough to turn her knuckles white. Was it my imagination, or did the wheel look kind of warped? H mm, must be some exotic Italian trend.

"I have sat with him at night, when everyone else but me and Jasper are sleeping."

"Jasper?" I asked, not particularly liking the direction this conversation was taking.

"My husband. He often sits with me at night." Looking over at me again, she said "Jasper is almost as attentive to your husband as I am. He is also very grateful to him for putting himself between me and my would be attackers."

I was beginning to get a little exasperated by all this. "What? Have the Cullens suddenly decided to start the Jordan Wirthlin fan club?"

Looking at me coldly, Alice said "Thats right, and guess who gets to be the president?" At that, she slammed on the brakes, screeching to a halt along the side of the road.

Her overly perfect face was now somewhat red, and blotchy, her breath coming in quick, short burst. I looked her in the eyes- did I say blotchy? I would have to say mottled with rage was more accurate.

With visible effort, Alice regained control, for which I was thankful- as I was on the verge of wetting myself. The little pixie, it seemed, was capable of being quite terrifying!

"I guess that would answer my question as to _why_ he weeps in his sleep." Looking at me, in control of herself, but with rage bubbling just beneath the surface, she asked me "Do you know what he says?"

"I have no idea." I said faintly, shaking my head.

"He says 'Anna, I'm sorry. I can do better, I promise! Please, don't leave me!' over, and over. And then he starts to weep. All without waking up. It breaks my heart, but do you know what truly galls me?"

Feeling sickened, I shook my head again.

"He always wakes up in a cheerful mood, as if he is completely unaware of what goes on at night. So, I want you to tell me honestly. Is Jordan a 'battered husband'?"

"I have never laid a hand on him," I flared, "and even if I had- it's not like I can hurt him!! Have you seen the muscles on that little peacock of a prick? I swear, he gets up at four am _every damn morning_ just so he can run his miles on that damn treadmill of his, or lift weights using that stupid home gym he saved six months to buy. Aside from his low-paying job, school, and taking care of the girls, all he seems to do is workout. Just _who_ in the hell is he trying to impress?!!!" I finished with a shout.

Terrific, now I was the one panting like some dog. I had not meant to say so much.

Alice looked at me sadly "Did it _ever_ occur to you, that he was trying to impress _you_?"

That threw me.

"I told you that Jasper bought me this car for my graduation. Would you like to know what I graduated in?"

Not knowing what else to do, and mortified by my display, I nodded.

"I just finished my second masters degree, in psychiatry. My first was in psychology, but it wasn't enough to satisfy me."

I looked at her in stunned disbelief, and not a little jealousy "Two masters?"

She shrugged, "I have a lot of time on my hands. But I am getting to the reason I wanted to talk to you alone."

I looked at her with suspicion. "Go on."

"I want to help," she said simply. "I want to save Jordan, as he saved me."

That pissed me off. "From what? He has it made! He has an undemanding job, gets to go to school, and has a wife who supports his sorry ass!!"

"I want to help Jordan to help himself. I want to help him to achieve self-actualization, so he can have not only the courage to live as he believes, but so that he can believe himself to be of value. Anna, your husband has absolutely _no_ concept of how truly amazing he is. He has foolishly based his whole concept of self-worth on whether or not he feels worthy of your love, and Anna, he doesn't believe he is!"

Looking me in the eye, Alice went on "You obviously don't believe he is either."

I shook my head "Wow! He has you fooled, doesn't he?"

"I will make it quite simple for you," she said between her teeth. "I have lied to him, told him that I needed to finish my masters project, but could not find one- until now. I told him that I wanted to study him, and the phenomenon of courage leading to action under stress. He initially declined, claiming the need to get back to work, and school, and didn't have the time."

Smiling, she looked at me, showing her teeth. "Therefor, I want you to quit your job, and move your family up here so I _can_ help him to achieve his dreams."

I shook my head. Poor, beautiful, deluded, little rich girl. "That just is not going to happen. I have worked too hard to get where I am at to throw it all away, just so you can walk my husband through some self- help program."

"But aren't you from up here? Haven't you ever wanted to move back home? Be near your family? Go back to school?" she finished, holding all of my innermost desires in front of me, like bait.

I sighed, "It isn't that simple, have you seen the housing market? Even with the cost of living increase I would get, we couldn't afford to buy a house big enough to meet our needs. As for my going back to school? Forget about it!"

"Ah," Alice responded, "that is where you are wrong. You see, Anna, my whole family loves your husband; they're grateful to him, for him, you name it. Last night, we were discussing your husband just outside his door, when he started talking in his sleep again, and then weeping,"

I felt a strong urge to throw up, as I interrupted "They heard everything you told me about?"

"Yes," she said, "and we are all of the same mind, we want him up here so I can help him, to the point that this morning I went down to the bank and deposited two million dollars into an account I opened in yours and his name, after having my lawyer draw up a contract."

"W-W-What kind of contract?" I stuttered.

"That the funds are compensatory in nature. I am in fact, paying you to move your family up here, to live while I spend six months working with Jordan."

"But _two million dollars?"_

"Half that is the reward money he refused when we offered. In fact, he was insulted by the notion that he would ever except money for such a thing. The other half, well that is for your payment."

"Just for moving here?" I asked, astounded.

"No," Alice said, looking at me levelly."for going the entire six months without seeing your husband at all."

"Are you crazy? Do you have any idea what that would do to our girls? They are already besides their selves without their father."

"Oh, your daughters can see their father as often, and for as long as they want." she said. "No, it's just you that can't see him. It would be counterproductive to my efforts."

"Are you trying to purchase my husband from me?" I asked, coldly.

"No," said Alice "I am trying to _save_ him. Anna, when I was doing my clinical s, I saw a man who was in a similar situation. He committed suicide, all because he didn't believe his wife loved him! Maybe she did, maybe she didn't. I don't know. But from my observations first of Jordan, and now you-I believe even you don't know if you love your husband. You certainly don't respect him."

"I don't know what to say."

"Say you will do it," Alice urged "tell me you believe your husband is worth saving."

Looking her in the eye, I swallowed "I will do it- but I don't know if Jordan will agree with it."

"We will cross that bridge when we come to it." she said, starting the car and turning around.

"We should get back."

For some reason, the bitch looked _awfully_ pleased with herself.


End file.
